Rookie Rebecca Duda steps in to help secure win over Moncton

(MONCTON, N.B.) UNB's women's soccer team showed no sign of relinquishing their unbeaten status on Friday night as they secured a 3-1 win over Université de Moncton's Aigles Bleues, taking their regular season record to 6-0-2.

The Varsity Reds, who earlier in the season had been plagued with problems finding their momentum in the first half, came out flying. UNB's female athlete of the month for September Kayla Painter scored the first goal of the game at just 1:06. 

Goal number two for UNB came from Samantha Lagacy at around the ninth minute. Lagacy would score her second goal of the game around nine minutes later on a penalty kick, making it 3-0 for the Varsity Reds less than twenty minutes into the game.

Moncton answered soon after with a goal from Emilie Naugle at 20:02. At that point, the game took a different turn when it became apparent that UNB's goalkeeper Sami Jo Bell had been injured. Bell has been an exceptionally strong addition to the Varsity Reds this year and has started each of this season's eight games. Rebecca Duda spent the rest of the game in net for UNB. 

UNB head coach Jonathan Crossland says he's pleased with how the team pulled together to secure the win. 

"Losing Sami Jo took the wind out of our sails a bit after a great start scoring three goals in the first 18 minutes," he said. "The girls responsded to a difficult situation and pulled out a victory."

Duda, who is in her first year of playing university soccer, rose to the challenge and was strong in net.  

"Rebecca was confident and comfortable in goal making two big save for us late in the second half - the first off a penalty shot and coming out to stop a breakaway for the second."

The Varsity Reds play next at home on BMO Field when they host Dalhousie at 1pm on Sunday, October 5.